Sleep can definitely seem like a mystery at times. Despite it being a common, everyday activity in our lives, we are all still trying to work out why we sleep, what sleep actually is, and which factors determine or affect our rest. Along with all the speculation appear plenty of sleep myths, some of which can be both misleading and even detrimental to health. Take a look below to see some sleep myths debunked once and for all.

Sleep Myth 1) Alcohol Helps You Sleep

Whilst alcohol certainly causes drowsiness and eventual sleep, the sleep achieved is broken, uncomfortable and low in quality. Alcohol can also cause dehydration, meaning that you tend to wake with a sore head, a dry mouth and a feeling far from rested.

Sleep Myth 2) Daytime Activities Do Not Affect Sleep

Wrong! Daytime activities definitely affect sleep. Activities such as working out late in the evening tend to make it difficult to fall asleep, whilst watching a ﬁlm late into the early hours can definitely lessen sleep quality due to blue light exposure. Day time activities can have a huge affect on rest and investing in the correct sleep hygiene can make all the difference.

Sleep Myth 3) Certain Foods Put Me to Sleep

Whilst certain foods can definitely help to encourage sleep, there is no speciﬁc food that will heavily induce sleep. Whilst foods such as nuts, slow release carbs and warm milk can certainly relax your mind and body for rest, they cannot directly induce sleep. Simply include sleep boosting foods in your diet for a healthy sleep and a better life, they’ll ﬁt well into your sleep hygiene routine.

Sleep Myth 4) You Can Make Up for Lost Sleep

Although it can be tempting to sleep in for longer at the weekend in order to ‘make up’ for sleep lost during the week, studies have actually shown that sleeping longer on your days off can be pretty ineffective. Not only does it make you miss out on daytime activities, sleeping for longer at the weekend will most likely cause ‘social jet lag’, making it pretty difﬁcult for you to start the new week afresh on Monday!

We all know that good sleep is vital for performance, but when it comes to athletes, do they need more rest than usual? Take a look at the science below.

For most people, the average amount of sleep needed tends to be between 7-9 hours, although this does vary with age.

For athletes, the numbers are higher. Similar to how athletes need more calories for their high intensity training, they also need more sleep, around one hour extra each night, pulling the amount up to a recommended average of 10 hours! Athletes are also encouraged to take regular afternoon naps for quick energy boosts in the day, it’s also advised that they head to bed early and wake up early too. So, why all the fuss? How does a lack of sleep affect athletes?Well, the truth is – athletes are affected massively by just one hour drop in their usual sleep patterns. We need sleep for energy and overall performance, meaning that a decrease in athletes’ sleep leads to poor performance, lack of stamina and energy and general fatigue. The more active the person, the harder fatigue tends to hit.Leading a busy lifestyle as an athlete can be tricky, especially when it comes to ﬁtting in good sleep.

Check out these athlete sleep tips here.

• Set a schedule! Athletes already lead a regimented lifestyle in terms of training, therefore slotting a sleep routine into the mix seems to work well alongside their other activities. Aiming to fall asleep and get up at same time each day really works to decrease fatigue and ﬁght insomnia.

• Set a schedule! Athletes already lead a regimented lifestyle in terms of training, therefore slotting a sleep routine into the mix seems to work well alongside their other activities. Aiming to fall asleep and get up at same time each day really works to decrease fatigue and ﬁght insomnia.

• Athletes tend to travel a lot for games, tournaments and events, meaning their sleep schedule tends to suffer, which can in turn start to affect their performance. A great way to get around this is to arrive in the location days or even weeks before the actual event, this allows your body to acclimatize to the new surroundings and will really work to shake off jet lag and fatigue.

• Avoid sleep medication. Certain sleep supplements can make waking up a difﬁicult and drowsy affair, and if you’re heading to morning training, it can be tough to wake up and get out the door. There are plenty of other ways to encourage sleep, from sleep hygiene through to sleep hypnosis and pillow sprays.

• Reduce caffeine. If you’re coming up to an important event, it’s probably best to start cutting out caffeine a few days prior to ensure that you’re sleeping well and performing at your best.

Creativity at night? Here’s how to harness it.

Although it might not seem that logical, as in the evening we tend to feel pretty drowsy, the period before we drop off into slumber holds the most creative potential within our minds. Sleep and relaxation allow our unconnected brain cells to basically link up- resulting in a ﬂood of philosophies. If you end up with a string of ideas coming into your head in the evenings, here are ﬁve great tips on how to harness this creative ability to ultimately channel it into your work.

Write everything down.

Due to the ﬁckle nature of our thoughts as we fall asleep, ideas and creative concepts can easily fall in and out of our minds incredibly quickly. If you ever experience a creative thought in the evening- it’s best to write it down, as you’re probably not going to be able to recall it the next day! Keep a late-night thought diary for your ideas, they’re pretty entertaining to have a look through the morning after the night before!

Set aside time.

Although the evening can be an incredibly creative time for our minds, sleep tends to come ﬁrst. When you feel the thoughts enter your brain, work on them for a certain amount of time before switching off- sometimes all it takes is around half an hour to get your thoughts down on paper before heading off to bed.

Create a plan for the next morning.

Although tempting, it’s probably not the best idea to stay up late working on new ideas. Instead, drafting a plan and writing up a few brief notes on your ideas is a great way to set yourself up for the next working day.

Listen to instrumental music.

Music boosts creativity and improves learning and memory function. Just half an hour of listening to instrumental music on a low volume can help you to dig into your mind before sleep to unearth some brilliant ideas.

Perfect your sleep environment.

Finally, for late night thoughts to be nurtured and for creativity to ﬂow in the moments before sleep, it’s always a good idea to have an ideal sleeping environment. A cooling mattress can help to regulate your body temperature whilst dim lighting relaxes your mind as you ﬁll in a few of your thoughts before falling asleep.